I always love it when you hear a speech from yesteryear, and the meaning still holds weight in the present day. As we get closer to the most critical election of our lifetime, KRS drops knowledge on what was the election then, and can easily be translated to now. All you gotta do is substitute the names. In Black communities across the country, it's been said that the best music is made during the country's worst times (I can't really explain the last 4 years, though)...I guess that's one thing to look forward to if Obama doesn't win. Damn, I just paused and thought about what I just said...'What if Obama...' Ok, Ill shut the f*ck up.
10/28/08
KRS ONE 1992 Election
Tags Barack Obama, KRS One
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1 comments:
Excellent! KRS continues to be a megaphone for social-consciousness. He has transcended art for the sake of itself. In black communities (and latino) it's almost always been the "worst times", economically and politically speaking. Looking back to the so-called prosperous 80's (where the gulf between rich and poor was widening, right up through today), hip-hop was ascendant. The decade also produced timeless R&B, jazz fusion, late disco, even pop.
With respect to Obama, his victory will only produce substantive change if we follow up on our votes and make serious demands on his base with pressure tactics. I worry about some of our people in the hip-hop community that are so distracted by "fashionable consumption" that they aren't up on politics and democracy and those that think a vote by itself will make a difference (which is what we're taught by our deficient educational system). Democracy does take a some work. There are actually many other factors that contribute to this. I understand Barack needed to be more centrist to get swing votes but in the process has largely neglected by his rhetoric not just black but poor and lower-class communities and has been real hawkish with his foreign policy proposals. If he's going to make a hard left turn once he assumes office, it'll be up to many of us in the hip-hop generation. He alone is no match for the entrenched forces that have dominated the political landscape for decades. Just had to connect with a fellow hiphopper. But yeah KRS is the man, did he make a video for 'Why Is That?' That's the joint too.
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